Screening machine



Aug. 28, 1923.

c. E. JOHNSON SCREENING MACHINE Filed July 5. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l 41002 4 ATTbRNJ IY.

Aug. 28, 1923. 1,465,986

C. E. JOHNSON SCREENING MACHINE Filed July 5. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WAX/fifM/WSWHN NTM.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

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Application filed. July 5, 1921. Serial No. 482,468.

To @ZZwhomitmay concern: I

Beit known that 1', CHARLES E. JOHNSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pil'lager, in the'county' of Cass and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Screening Machine, of which the following is a specificationl I h v nt on ela es o ma hin Wh h maybe used to sort potatoes of different sizes as they are taken from the field andto separate the same from'other dug'inaterlal such as earth and stones. y

The invention has for an object to provide for the separation of potatoes from other dugmaterial. during the travel ofthe potatoes up and over an inclinec'l cr bblev or screen mounted on a trohghjythose potatoes which do not pass thru the cribble being carriedup to the end of the trough where they are discharged into a spout which directs the potatoes to one side or the other. of the machine, While those passing through the vcribble'are further sorted on another screen immediately below the first, the matter which passes through the second mentioned screen being received on a shelf or ch'ute whichconducts it to one side of the machine,

the second mentioned screen extendin beyond the chute so that objects or matter discharging from the shelf or chute and screen wil n tmingle inaconunon heap and s that receptacles may be more conveniently placed at the discharge end of the chute and screen without mutual interference.

Referring now to the drawings in which the preferred form of the invention is shown,

Fig. 1 is a machine;

7 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine viewed from the right of Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of a portion of the machine showing the screen arrangement; S

Fig. 5 isga vertical section taken thru the device shown in F ig. 4,; i

Fig. 6 is an end elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper end of the hute showing how thespout may be supported in either of two positions, and

plan view of the screening stood,

vation showing how the spout oflFigGis removably conneoted'tothe' side Wallsyof the chute.

' In the drawings like characters ofreference indicate like parts throughout the several views r 10 indicates a chute or trough supported 'in inclined position on any suitable frame suchas standardsll'. Forconvenience in transporting the mach ne, runners or skids .12 may be secured to the lower ends oftlie standards and at the ends: of the runners suitable draft connections 131 may be pro vided. Arranged at either end of the trough or chute 10 is a sprocket wheel or the like 1d. Looped over these wheels is an endless flexible conveyer 15 having cross slats '16 secured thereto for carrying material from one end ofth'chute to thelother as will 'bereadily understood. I p v T fl l c n yer m y be act ated i y ui a mann r. o convenie efof illustration, there is'indicated a: hand crank 17 to which is secured a sprocket wheel 18 which is suitably mounted on the sidewall of the chute. Passingover this wheel is a belt 19 which likewise passes over sprgcket 20 aiiirred to a shaft 210 which the sprocket (not shown) corresponding to the sprocket 14!: is aflixed; Also affixed to this shaft is a belt pulley to enable'the fiexi .bl ye f to be d i e by me ha i power if so desired. p 7

At the lower end of the chute 10 is a hopper 23 -into which the potatoes and other dug material are shoveled, This hopper has a slot 24: therein through which the slats 16 of the flexible conveyor pass upwardly duri g e pe at on ofthe' mach ne In Order to prevent material from falling thru the slot immediately after a slat has passed therethru, there is providedany suitable trap suchas a flexible leather-flap 2 5. secured to the hopper adjacent the slot This flap will normally over-lie the slot but will be pushed aside by the slat after the latter comes thru the slot as will be readily under- Arranged at' the upp r e d of the ch V 10, is a shout 26. This Spou is let-acha ly .Fi 7 is afragmentary detail i side elesecuredto one or the other of the side walls of the chute and extends downwardly and transversely of the same whereby the material received into the spout is discharged at one side or the other of the machine. As shown more fully in Figs. 6 and. 7, the spout 26 is secured to the sidewall 10 of the chute 10 by means of two buttons 27 which enter a pair of keyhole slots 28 in the spout.

In order to allow the upper end of the spout to extend outwardly or beyond the end of the chute a sufficient distance to enable the potatoes carried up by the conveyer to be dumped and retained thereon, it is desirable that three or more key-hole slots28 be provided in the upper end of the spout. In

transferring the spout from one side to the other of the chute, that lrey-hole slot adjacent the edge of the spout most remote from the chute will, of course, not be used, as will be readily understood. The spout is supported at its lower end by means of a rod 29 which at its upper end is secured to one of the buttons 27 and at its lower end is hooked into a perforation 30 in the remote side wall of therchute. provided with a similar perforation which will receive the hooked end of the rod when the spout is transferred to the other side of the chute. This supporting of the spout by so disposed that material carried up by the chute.

conveyer falls thereon. The framewhich supports the chute 10 is high enough and the spout 26' is of suchlength as to enable the latter to discharge directly into a wagon box. The mechanism for screening and grading the potatoes will now be described. mediate the ends of thechute is a cribble or screen 31 which is arranged across an opening in the bottom of the chute. This screen is preferably supported on a plurality of longitudinally extending strips 32 which are suitably secured to the bottom of the Disposed over the screen are, likewise, a plurality of strips 33 which serve to form a support for the conveyer slats 16 as they pass over the screen. I Depending from the chute 10, below the screen 31, is a frame 34: having a pair of inwardly and laterally extending shelves or at one side of the machine.

ledges 35 for supporting a screen 36. The frame 34 preferably has a closed back 3 1 from which the screen 36 extends to a point This screen 36 is preferably dished into the form of a spout so that the material received thereon and The other side wall" is also Inter naeaese not passing therethru will'roll down to the lowest parts of the same and eventually leave it in a well defined path. The screen serves, therefore, not only to sift material falling thereon, but also as a dischargespout for material which remains thereon.

In order that material passing thru the screen 36 may be collected at a definitepoint, the frame 34: is preferably closed at its bottom as atBl to form an inclined shelf down which the material received from said screen may pass. This shelf preferably terminates short of the terminus of the screen 36 so as not to confuse the .materials leaving the screen 36 and said inclined shelf; It is contemplated that suitable receptacles will be placed beneath said screen and shelf to receive the materials discharged therefrom The cribble 31 is designed to be removably secured in the chute 10. Realization of this object is obtained by cutting out a gate-way 10 in the side wall of the chute as indicated 1 in Fig. .4 and supporting the cribblebetween the lower and upper strips 82 and 33 respectively. Inasmuch as the cross bars-or slats 16 of the flexible conveyer do not'contactdirectly with the screen but rem on the slats 33, the screen 31 may be readily withdrawn without interference with said conveyer. The cribble is secured against lateral displacement by any suitable means such as turn buttons 37. The second screen 86 may also be removed and replaced by a screen i of different mesh and is retained in place on its ledges 35 in any suitable manner.

The mode of operation of the machine will now be clear. After the potatoesare shoveled'into the hopper 23 and'are moved up the chute by means of the flexible conveyer, some potatoes and earth, sand and ground will passthru the cribble 31 and fall upon the under-lying screen 36, the larger potatoes, however, being carried upward by the conveyer and dumped into the spout 26 to be discharged into a suitable receptacle such as a wagon box. Of the material and potatoes falling on'the screen 36 some will pass thru and some not. That which does not pass thru will roll down the screen and be spouted therefrom and that falling on the shelf 34 will likewise be discharged therefrom.

Suitable means 37 for supporting a sack may be secured to the terminals of the ledges 35. Various other details may be provided without departing from the spirit of the invention. r

While the invention has been described with considerable particularity of detail, reference is to be had to the appendedclaims for the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a screening machine, the combinae tion of an inclined trough having a cribble in its bottom and an'endless flexible conveyor for moving material over the cribble,

a frame depending from the trough below the cribble,v an inclined shelf at the bottom of the frame and a spout-like screen supported by said frame intermediate the crib ble and shelf, the discharge end of the screen extending laterally further from the trough than the like end of the shelf. r

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 27th day of June,1921.

my hand this r CHARLES E. JQHNSON, 

